Located on The Village Green at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Sanctuary Markets focuses on local and international food.

Every Friday night the Village Green is filled with street food from Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, South Africa, Chile, India, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Fresh fruit and vegies are for sale in the spacious car park. Arts and crafts stalls are housed inside, along with a bar which stocks local craft beers from Burleigh Brewing and wines from Sirromet.

The market has enjoyed a strong following since opening. When we visited recently, the Sanctuary’s veranda was packed with local families enjoying the live music. Some tourists, exiting the wildlife sanctuary at the end of their day, could also be seen stopping at market stalls to buy meals and fruit.

We met as an extended family, each one having our own food preferences – vegans, gluten intolerants, dairy-free – yet everyone found interesting food which pleased them: Vietnamese bowl food, dim sum, pizza and sweets, with many more choices left to try another time.

Operated by Markets Down Under, who also run Emerald Lakes Markets, Sanctuary Markets offers families an affordable night out, a place to socialise and meet friends and enjoy live entertainment with food to please every palate.